Improvement in tilting chairs



1. M. WAT ERS. Tilting-Chair.

N0, $3,705 7 1 Patented May 25,1875.

nvent 0r- THE GRAPHIC C0.PHOTO-L TH.39&4I PARK PLAGLNY.

UNITED STATEs PATENT QEFIGE. N

JABEZ M. WATERS, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN TILTING CHAIRS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 163,705, dated May 25,1875 application filed I September 9, 1874.

To all whom it may concern Be' it known that I, JAEEz M. WATERs, ofCincinnati, county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, haveinvented anImprovement in Chairs, of which the following is a specification:

My invention relates to chairs; and consists in the adaptation andarrangement of a semi-elliptical metallic spring beneath the seat of thechair, enabling it to be tipped back to a partially-reclining positionwith perfect ease, and without danger of upsetting, thus permitting arocking motion to the chair.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 represents a chair containing myimprovement, as seen in perspective; Fig. 2, a crosssection of the same,taken through the middle from front to back; Fig. 3, a clamp or abutmentwhich I place at the rear end of the spring, as seen from beneath.

B O, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2, represent my semi-elliptical spring,which is attached by a screw or other suitable means, at B, to theframe-work which supports the chair, and, extending first forward fromthe place of its support, is then bent up and backward, and extended tothe rear edge of the seat of the chair, where it enters the clamp orabutment H. (Best seen in Fig. 3.) E is an arm of the frame upon whichthe seat is supported, extending forward from B, and curving upwarduntil it reaches the front end of the seat of the chair, and supportssaid seat when in its ordinary horizontal position. D is a similar rodor support, extending backward from B, but cut off some distance beneaththe rear end of the seat of the chair. G G are arms or supports,extending from B in a similar manner toward the sides of the seat, andsecured in lugs attached to said sides, as seen at K, or in such othermanner as to allow the seat to turn freely backward and forward uponthese supports. S is a screw, which may be used to raise and lower theseat of the chair; but this is not a material part of my invention, andthe chair may be constructed without it. H is a clamp or abutmentattached to the rear of the seat of the chair, and receiving the rearend of the spring 0. p

The spring B 0 may be made of steel or other metal or materialpossessing the requisite elastic properties.

The arms G G D E and clamp H may be made of cast-iron or other suitablematerial.

The operation is as follows, viz: When the occupant of the chair wishesto recline, he leans back in his seat. The pressure thus brought to bearupon the rear end of the spring 0 causes it to yield gradually, untilthe rear of the seat of the chair is brought against the support D, andthus arrested, and held firmly in place. The support D may be cut off ata greater or less distance below the seat of the chair, according as itis desired to allow greater or less inclination to the chair. The clampH arrests the backward movement of the spring, and thus secures the fullelasticity of the spring.

As the chair-seat is tipped back, it is evident that the end of thespring 0 has a tendency to slip along the bottom of the chairseat. Now,by the use of a clamp or abutment, H, I prevent this slipping, and thusproduce a compressive strain. in the spring, which renders it much moreefl'ectivethat is, much stiffer.

A screw or other means of securing the end of the spring may besubstituted for H; but I prefer the clamp for this purpose.

The precise arrangement of the legs and other portions of the lowerframe-work of the chair shown in the drawing is not material to theinvention, but may be varied in design to suit the fancy of themanufacturer; nor is it essential that the spring be attached andsupported at the center of the chair.

If it is desired to increase the tension of the springs, it may be doneby inserting under the lower end, at B, a small piece of metal, orwasher, which may be of greater or less thick ness, as required.

I am aware that a plate-spring fastened to the frame of the chair, andhaving its end playing loosely in a metallic seat formed upon the underrear edge of the chair-bottom, is old. I do not claim this as myinvention. My improvement consists in the method by which, through thesemi-elliptical curve in the spring, in front of its place of support,when acted upon by the abutment at the end of the spring, the tilting ofthe chair is made to compress the spring upon itself in its forwardcurve, and thus secure a much greater degree of elasticity than ispossible in chairs constructed with the spring extending directly, ornearly directly, to the rear edge of the seat.

What I claim as my invention, and ask to have secured to me by LettersPatent is- In a tilting chair provided with a suitable frame, E G G, andstop-arm D, the spring. B, attached rigidly at one end, at or near theswivel-bolt, projecting thence forward toward the front of the chair,then bent back upon itself, and having its other end so secured by theseat or abutment H upon the rear of the chairseat A as to secure thecompression of the spring when the chair is tilted back.

JABEZ M. WATERS. Witnesses:

R. H. PARKINSON, JEREMIAH F. TWOHIG.

